Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains 004
Chapter 4
Chen Qi beckoned to Aze. โAze, can you dig this out for me?โ
Aze squatted down and looked at the small section of dirt that had been โscratchedโ at. Without further ado, he stretched out his claws and dug up three half fist-sized things in no time.
Chen Qiโs eyes lit up. He quickly grabbed them and examined them up, down, left, right, and all around. He even picked up the stems that had been torn off to one side and inspected them carefully. Sure enough, they were those familiar roots often purchased in vegetable markets๐ sweet potatoes.
There were so many strange things in this world. Thus, even though heโd encountered this food heโd often eaten before, Chen Qi dared not to casually eat it. He offered one of them to Aze. โAze, Aze, is this thing poisonous? Can it be eaten?โ
Aze took it, wiped the dirt on it off with the corner of his clothes, brought it up to his nose, sniffed it, and took a bite. Before Chen Qi could stop him, Aze had chewed twice and swallowed it down. โIt can be eaten.โ
Chen Qi held his forehead and helplessly said, โAze, next time, if youโre not sure if something can be eaten, donโt just put it in your mouth.โ
โOkay.โ
โCome on, come on, letโs roast and eat it.โ Chen Qi excitedly pulled Aze back to the fire and gestured for him to dig another shallow pit nearby.
Aze complied with Chen Qiโs order without any questions, and the shallow pit was soon dug up. Chen Qi picked up a wooden stick and used it to move some of the red-hot charcoal from the fire into the pit. Then he spread a thin layer of acacia leaves over it, placed the two intact sweet potatoes and the one bitten by Aze on top, followed by another layer of leaves before he covered it all up with soil. Finally, he lit a small fire on the top.
Aze smeared the salt stone on the roasted warthog as he watched Chen Qi being busy, occasionally giving him a hand. By the time Chen Qi had set up the small fire, Aze had already cut off a few slices of well-roasted pork and given it to him. The water in the laiche fruit had also finished boiling and was set aside to cool down.
โChen Qi, what were those rhizomes* that we dug out? Why are you burying them in the soil like this?โ Aze was a little curious since this was the first time heโd seen someone bury burning charcoal in the soil and build a fire on top of it.
*rhizomes = tuber, root, rootstalk
โSweet potatoes. This kind of thing tastes delicious when baked.โ Chen Qi broke off two clean straw sticks to use as chopsticks. He took a slice of pork and blew on it gently before putting it in his mouth. After chewing it a few timesโฆ how should he put it? It actually was not as delicious as it looked, and it still had a little of the astringent taste from the salt stone.
Crossingย to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP)ย is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
โSweet potato? This is the first time Iโve heard that this kind of root can be eaten.โ
โYou donโt usually eat them?โ
โEn, Iโve only seen others from the tribe picking out fruit to eat.โ Aze tore off a pork leg. He was not as fastidious about eating as Chen Qi. He held the leg directly in his hand and opened his mouth to bite it, his actions bold and unafraid of scalding.
When Chen Qi heard this, he asked with uncertainty, โYour people donโt know that things grown underground can also be eaten?
Aze turned his head and thought for a moment. โEn, we only eat what we can see, like fruit and animals.โ
Chen Qi nodded with understanding. It seemed that in the future, he would have to explore for more recipes.
The two finished off half of the warthog. Of course, Chen Qi couldnโt eat that much. After eating about half a pork leg, the taste got a little too greasy for him, so the rest of it went into Azeโs stomach.
The two men had a rest. Chen Qi took a few sips of water to dilute the taste of roast meat in his mouth. Thinking it should be about time, he extinguished the small fire and started digging with a stick.
The three sweet potatoes were not big. Chen Qi was afraid of getting burned, so he just gave the leaves a couple of presses and found that the sweet potatoes had become extremely soft. Using leaves as a makeshift mitt, he picked one up. As soon as it was opened, the bright orange flesh was revealed and a strong and delicious aroma rushed out. It turned out to be a bit different from the ones heโd bought in the vegetable market since the smell was obviously stronger.
Azeโs nose twitched and he said with surprise, โSo fragrant.โ
Chen Qi gave the other intact one to Aze. โTry it.โ
Aze took it, but was stopped by Chen Qi when he was about to put it straight into his mouth. โThis needs to be peeled, like this.โ Chen Qi showed Aze how to peel off the skin of the sweet potato. He must be joking. It was baked directly in the soil and is even still covered with dirt. How could it be eaten directly?!
Aze mimicked Chen Qi and peeled off the skin. After watching Chen Qi enjoy a bite, he took a bite too. It was soft, waxy, and sweet. It was as delicious as it smelled. It was Azeโs first time experiencing this kind of a taste and he couldnโt help but take another bite.
The sweet potatoes were not big. For Aze, it was gone in two or three bites. After finishing his, he looked at Chen Qi with an expression that said he wanted more. Chen Qi noticed him staring and raised an eyebrow. He handed him the last sweet potato, the one Aze had bitten before. โHere, how does it taste? Is it delicious?โ
Aze nodded but did not take it. โIt is delicious, you eat more.โ
Chen Qi shoved it directly into his hand. โYou dug it up, so you should eat more instead. I havenโt finished my own yet.โ
Aze gave him a conflicted look. โYou didnโt eat much meat just now.โ
Crossingย to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP)ย is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
Although the little warthog was not big, the pork legs were not too small for Chen Qi. Chen Qi ignored him and wiped his hands with the acacia leaves after eating. โAze, are we sleeping in a tree tonight?โ
In a somewhat complicated mood, Aze nodded. He could feel Chen Qiโs unspoken kindness, which made him anxious. He was afraid that he would have a greedy desire for this gentleness. This was not something that he, a female without a pregnancy pattern, should have.ย He was a person who was abandoned by the beast gods. Aze warned himself in his heart, bowed his head, and pretended to be enjoying the delicious food in his hand as he restrained the emotion surging in his eyes.
After they had had enough to eat and drink, they did a basic job of tidying up the area. Aze moved the remaining half of the warthog safely to the acacia tree before carrying Chen Qi back to rest on the thickest branch.
Nothing happened the whole night.
As if.
Chen Qi spent the night in a tree for the first time. Although the bough was thick enough for him to lie flat and turn over, anyone who was expected to sleep at a height of more than 10 meters without any protective measures would be unable to rest at ease.
Chen Qi was stiff all night and did not dare to move, his hands tightly clutching the branch underneath him. He was both half-asleep and half-awake. Although his mind was alert even in the middle of the night, he had been walking all day and his body was tired, so he still felt sleepy and fell asleep.
When Chen Qi woke up in the morning, he was still a little confused. He thought that he was still in his big, comfortable bed at home and rolled over out of habit. Then he found that half of his body felt oddly unsupported. When he looked closely and found that he had one leg hung off of the bough of the tree, shaking, more than ten meters high, the haze of fogginess after waking was ruthlessly scattered away by his fear. He carefully retracted his leg and slowly moved back onto the branch before patting his chest and breathing a sigh of relief.
Looking to the other side, he saw Aze standing on the outermost branch with his body half-arched. The muscles in his arms were tightly stretched and blue veins stood out. His eyes were staring at the sky for an instant as if he was going to rush out and fight something at the next moment.
โAze?โ
Hearing Chen Qiโs voice, Aze turned his head, his face slightly cold and tense, and his expression instantly converged. He jumped back to the place where Chen Qi was. โYouโre awake.โ
โMmm.โ Chen Qi nodded. โWhat were you doing just now?โ
Crossingย to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP)ย is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
Aze held out his hand. On his palm was a white feather that constantly released a hint of translucent mist around it and into the air.. Chen Qi looked curiously at the feather and then at Aze. โWhat is that?โ
โA messenger eagleโs feather.โ
โA messenger eagle?โ
โEn, every time the eagle flies a distance, it drops a feather. The mist around it is the scent of the feather when it volatilizes. It is a message to inform its companions.โ
What strange bird is this? Wonโt it become bald if it sheds its feathers all the time? Chen Qi mocked silently in his heart, waiting for Aze to continue.
Azeโs expression became heavy again. โMessenger eagles follow the hyena-drakes to pick up any leftovers. If a messenger eagle appears, it means that there are hyena-drakes nearby.โ
The information obtained by Chen Qi was very one-sided, and he had no impression at all of the messenger eagles, but regarding the hyena-drakes who were basically at the top of the food chain and were almost a bug-like existence, he knew them well. Werenโt all of the dragons supposed to live in Loya Forest? The Dora Plains couldnโt even sustain their basic needs for survival. Why would the hyena-drakes be here?
โChen Qi, we need to leave immediately.โ
Now was not the time for Chen Qi to slowly examine. Since Aze said they needed to leave at once, he nodded solemnly. โOkay, letโs go now.โ
Aze hesitated a little, paused, and said, โChen Qi, I am fast enough to catch up with a wolf.โ
Chen Qi looked at him questioningly. Why did he say this at this time?
Aze continued, โI am also very strong and can carry you on my back and still run all day without difficulty.โ
Chen Qi suddenly realized what he was getting at. Of course, Chen Qi would not continue to insist on walking by himself at this time. Hearing this, he patted Azeโs sturdy shoulder, gave him a smile, and said, โThen I will have to trouble you.โ
Aze thought Chen Qi would still refuse. He was just about to continue to try to persuade the other, but unexpectedly, Chen Qi had agreed at once, so he was a little surprised and didnโt react for a bit, standing frozen in place.
โWhatโs the matter? Letโs go quickly.โ Chen Qi stretched out his hand and waved it in front of the dazed Aze.
โOh, oh, okay.โ Aze recovered and bowed his head in embarrassment.
Because he was going to carry Chen Qi on his back, Aze took only two of the softest pieces of hide and the half of a warthog remaining from last night and tied them in front of him. He left everything else on the acacia tree. Chen Qi originally suggested that he could help carry them, but Aze refused.
The two covered last nightโs fire with dirt and briefly tidied up. Then Aze took Chen Qi onto his back and left. Aze was really fast. With a few leaps, they were already far away from the tall acacia tree.
In the sky not far away, a flame-colored bird with a wingspan of nearly two meters flew through the sky, a feather drifting down from it. The feather faded as it fell and began to emit a trace of transparent mist-like vapor, which quickly evaporated into the surrounding air.
Words from the Translation Crew
Miiya: 1 of 3 for the week.
Translator: Miiya
Editor: Avalie
Proofreader: Yume
Editor stepping into the realm of MTL translating, starting with CLWP. Support this translation with a Ko-fi. Three Ko-fis will add an extra chapter from the stockpile to the next weekly release.
Why is Aze so cute!? ๐
I squee a few times as i work through the translations myself ๐
Thanks for the chapter!
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